RECOVERY OF SOME METALS FROM PRIMARY DRY BATTERIES

Abstract

This study has aimed to make use of spent dry battery cells, It shows the recovery of some metals, valuable salts and materials from spent dry battery cells. The method applied manual disassembly of the spent battery samples, manual separation of non-metallic components from the metallic materials. This is followed by leaching of the metallic materials using distilled water with or without mineral acids. The process of water leaching was carried out at room temperature or at higher temperature up to 100 °C. In some other experiments, acid leaching was carried out using sulphuric or nitric or HCl acid having different molarity values. The leached components were filtered. Leached salts went to solution was separated and dried. The insoluble components were further processed to prepare free metals such as zinc, manganese oxides and carbon. Valuable salts of the leached zinc ( Zinc chloride) and manganese sulphate, nitrate and chloride were separated and purified. The work also shows a method to prepare zinc and manganese nanoparticles on carbon substrate. Some inorganic and organic salts such as carbonate, nitrate, chloride, and acetate were prepared from the chemical components of the spent dry battery cells. Manganese hydroxide was precipitated at pH 8 to prepare manganese nanoparticles. The hydroxide salt was precipitated on glassy carbon substrate. Nanoparticles of manganese were prepared by direct reduction of the adsorbed hydroxide using hydrazine hydrate. The hydroxide salt reacted with the respective acid to prepare the required salt.